Nialle
by MariskaRose
Summary: An old friend needs Jack for some work, likewise Jack needs her...Please R&R i hope this sumamry's ok, cos i suck at them!
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Please read and review this even if you don't like it just tell me constructivelly or give me advice as to how to improve it! If this fic goes well, i have another one in mind as a sequel. Nialle can be pronounced like Neil or i prefer Knee-Al! The. When i wrote this ithought it was HOT!**

* * *

The phone in Jack's office trilled loudly, pulling him from his thoughts. He instinctively reached for the phone.

"Jack Bauer." He called, checking the time: 6:17 pm.

"Mr Bauer, it's Dr Wakely from San Francisco Medical Centre. We have a patient – Nialle Forrester - here who is asking for the director of CTU Los Angeles. They're in pretty bad shape and if it hadn't been forher injuries, we probably wouldn't have called. " Dr Wakely told him.

"Ok," Jack replied, slightly uncertain as to where he was going. "Do you know what it's in relation to?" He looked down watching his team, process information.

" I have no idea. Mr Bauer, this woman has attacked my team twice in a bid to get to you. If this is a fraud I want to know as soon as possible because we're going to have to sedate her." Dr Wakely told him frankly. Jack's heart nearly stopped.

"Do nothing with that patient. I'll be with you as soon as is physically possible." Jack ordered, already grabbing his stuff to leave.

"Of course Mr. Bauer." They both put the phone down. Jack walked out of his office and down the stairs. He walked straight over to Tony Almeida who was speaking to a new member of staff. Tony looked up as he approached. His face was tired and he had more lines than usual. The problems with his wife, clearly visible for all to see.

"Tony I'm going to San Francisco. There's a chopper on standby. There's a patient there that I know…Long story." He explained hurriedly. "I'll be back as soon as." Tony nodded and before he could say anything, Jack was gone.

_**Later that evening**._

"Get you hands off me asshole," a voice screamed from the room at the end of the corridor. Two men in white jackets ran in. The scene that found them was bizarre. A young, petite brunette with olive skin was fighting three doctors and beating them. She struggled and fought and swore like no one knew. Another doctor ran in to the room, each one took an arm and leg pinning her to the table. Dr Wakely entered the room.

"Get off me! Let me go NOW," she screamed.

"Miss Forrester," Dr Wakely spoke softly. "A representative of CTU will be here shortly, please refrain from assaulting my team otherwise we will have no choice but to sedate you." Nialle took a deep breath and stopped, her heart beating rapidly, her chest moving up and down. She relaxed, all muscles loose. She heard footsteps running down the hall to her room.

"Nialle," the familiar voice said. She looked directly at the man in front of her. Jack looked at the men holding her down. "Let go of her now!"

The doctors complied and with the look in Jacks eye, decided to leave the room.

She jumped off the bed and flinched as her entire weight landed on ankle. Instinctively, Jack reached over and grabbed her elbow. She grabbed her clothes and quickly put them on. Jack noticed a small circular scaron her stomach.A sense of urgency filled the room as she moved. Her khaki pants and black tank top, showed her toned physique. Jack Bauer stared at her in puzzlement. She caught his eye.

"Like you've never seen me without clothes before.You got transport?" she asked.

"Yeah. What's going on Nialle?" He asked and made her stop for a split second. She looked up and smiled the faintest of smiles.

Jack looked at her and trusted her. Her dark hair was roughly tied back, a nasty cut on her head and her face stained slightly from blood.She was holding her arm towards her stomach and she didn't place her foot properly on he ground. Two small silvery scarlines could be seen on her face.

"I'll explain more on the way there, but first you gotta help me to walk out of here." she said glancing at the wall clock, "There's a bomb. In LA right about now."


	2. Stuck

**Ok so i tried to explain some more things. I really appreciated the reviews! Please re-do again! LOL thank you!**

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The helicopter whirred in the air. Jack looked over at Nialle. She'd made them pick up a box of files from an old warehouse and hadn't spoken since they'd lifted off. Jack knew it was in his best interest to let her talk in her own time. She was looking through some papers, flicking madly and occasionally saying the odd 'dammit'.

"Ok," she muttered "I got a tip approximately two weeks ago about a group of left wing extremists. They arrived in San Francisco and I've been tracking them, gathering information before I move. I found about a bomb in LA and I tried to get in touch but I what I was doing was discovered and this is what happened…" She motioned to her body.

Jack was silent throughout the explanation, nodding at the right spots.

"How did you get found out?" he asked.

"To be honest I have no idea. I obviously spoke to someone I shouldn't have and they tipped them off. The cell is known as Exposure. They expose weaknesses in US defence, utilise them for their own benefits." She explained. "I have no idea where they're going to be or where it's going to be detonated, I don't have the equipment that you do, which is why I brought all this stuff."

"You could have just told me on the phone." Jack snapped at her, knowing that she could have wasted long hours for information hunting. She looked up and smikled sarcastically.

"Yeah I could but then I'd have to get out the hospital and drive to LA, which would just suck and take far too long." She looked at his expression. "What you didn't think I was actually going to hand this over without helping did you? Christ Jack, it's been a while, I got a new job but – please."

"And if the bomb goes off because we've not enough time?" Jack asked impatiently, his old friend taking him for a ride.

"Believe me if I'm not around, it's going off." She muttered…

****

**_Meanwhile._**

Chloe walked over to her second in command Tony.

"Where's Jack?" she snapped. Tony looked up, eyebrow raised.

"He's out, he'll be back asap." He told her patiently. Chloe's 'wit' and attitude was notorious throughout their entire building.

"If you're in charge then I think you should treat those around you a little more nicely…" she moaned. Tony looked at her puzzled and angry.

"Chloe, I spoke to you fine and if I didn't I wouldn't have to justify myself to you, now if there's something you want, speak, if not then don't."

"Nothing." She snapped. She stalked away Tony shaking his head. The phone in his office rang making him jump slightly.

"Tony Almeida," he said.

"Tony, it's Jack. I've got information about a possible hit on LA today. A left wing extremist cell called Exposure. Find out if anyone has been tapping in to Government agencies, data missing, that kind of thing. We'll be back in about 30 minutes with data to cross-reference. Put Chloe and Adam on finding any information about the cell," Jack told him hurriedly.

"Who you bringing back?" Tony asked. There was a pause before his answer.

"An old friend – Nialle Forrester."

"Ok, Jack. We're on it." Tony assured him. He picked up his phone and called Chloe. _She'll love this, _he thought.

* * *

"What do you mean, without you it's going off?" Jack barked as soon as he put the phone down to Tony. She looked at him and smiled but an edgy hardness filled her eyes.

"I'm the best at what I did Jack." She simply stated.

"**Did**, Nialle. You've not done it for years. We've got new experts," Jack argued back.

"True. But im the best." She simply told him. He knew there was not much point in arguing with her. He'd known her since they were teenagers going through College. Worked together at CTU, special ops, she was a soldier through and through, yet she had what most soldiers who'd seen and done what they done – emotion. After CTU she trained in bomb diffusal and she'd become world renowned – she dared to diifuse bombs no one else had done. She was legendary in there work and yet she was still human. She'd been there for him when Terri had died and he trusted her implicitly. Yet he knew there was something she wasn't telling him…

She handed him some papers for him to look through when their helicopter jolted. They all lurched forward eyes wide. Smoke billowed from the tail. Another jolt hit the front. Nialle coughed as Jack leaned forward to check their pilots pulse.

"Unconscious…" he muttered. "Nialle I'm going to get in the front, try to see if I can land us safely. Call Tony Almeida tell him we're under attack, and keep him on so we can get our co-ordinates to him. Speed dial 3." He ordered handing her his phone. The helicopter was falling. Slowly at first but it was gathering speed… Jack looked up. The pilots knee was pushing the handle – pushing them down quicker than they should be.

"Shit," Jack cursed. He grabbed for his release to his seatbelt. It didn't move. Nialle watched and instinctively grabbed at hers. No release. Their eyes widened, hearts pounding…

They were stuck….


	3. Go

**OK thank you sooooo much for the reviews** **24LifeFox, Glad you like it. If this takes a little longer to updtae, forgive me. I'm gonna be a lil busy but i'll be asap and i've got figure whereto go now! CHeers xx**

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"Shit," Nialle snapped pulling at the safety belt. Jack was staring around the helicopter, quickly scanning for useful weapons.

"Nialle, can you grab my pocket knife?" Jack asked. She looked immediately at his back pocket. It wasn't there.

"On the floor." Jack told her. Her eyes met the knife. It was a long distance. Her pushed her legs out to where it was. She couldn't get there. She stretched as much as her body would allow.

"It's not…" she gasped..

"Come on Nialle, you can do this." Jack encouraged. She let her body slack even further in her seat and pushed. Their chopper was going down, quickly, they needed her to hurry. Jack got the phone out of her hand, and called Tony's office.

* * *

Tony picked his phone.

"Yeah." He answered absorbed in the information filtering through his screen.

"Tony, get the GPS co-ordinates of our chopper. We're being shot down. Send emergency services to us right now. We're going to need them." Jack ordered and immediately put the phone down. Tony jumped in to action. He dialled Chloe's inter-departmental number.

"O'Brien," she mumbled.

"Chloe, it's Tony I need you to send the current location of Jack's chopper to emergency services. They're being shot down." He instructed.

"Sure thing Tony," Chloe told him.

* * *

"I got it," Nialle exclaimed. She lifted the knife up slowly between her feet and manoeuvred it too Jack. He lunged and grabbed it from her feet and immediately started hacking in to his belt. He sliced through and immediately jumped to the cockpit taking control straight away. Nialle released herself from the grip of the belt.

"You got it?" she asked.

"Yeah, almost, but we're not staying up. Brace yourself…" Jack told her grimly. Adrenalin coursing through their bodies, they prepared for the landing.

"I always get in trouble with you Mr Bauer… has no – one heard of parachutes?" she told him sarcastically. Jack smiled at the wit of Nialle. Truth was she knew the answer. A military thing. They didn't keep them in here, she couldn't understand why, neither could Jack. She jumped in the front and smiled at him. That was how Jack remembered her. Always up for action, scared of nothing…not even death…that's why he admired her. She grabbed one of his hands. At least if he was dying Nialle, the friend he'd known the longest was with him.

It was the impact that got them both first. The folding of metal around them. Nialle ended up on top of Jack as his head pushed against the window. He felt a sudden release of pressure on his side and a howl shriek from Nialle. From the crack he was certain a bone had been broken. A sharp, slice of flesh caused him to gasp in pain as the window broke beside him. A hot trickle slid down his face, easily covering him. Then it stopped. The heavy breathing of himself and Nialle was all that could be heard…

"You ok?" he croaked, throat dry from dust, keeping extremely still.

"I've been better, to be honest. My arm's broke and I got some cuts, but I think I can move out…" she answered. "You?" He slowly moved his body slightly, and sucked up at his wrist, which was across Nialle, bent forward pushed by a piece of metal.

"Wrist really sore, fractured probably, but I can move everything else." He told her.

"Ok, then. I'm on top. I go first, we move slowly and decisively, looking out for each other." She instructed him.

"Go."

* * *

A gun shot broke the quiet noise of the CTU Los Angeles department. Silence ensued. 25 armed men filtered through quickly, each heavily armed. Two of them shot at personnel. Panic was felt through the whole room.

"Where is Tony Almeida?" one of the masked men bellowed. Tony saw a machete being brandished. No one moved. "I want him. NOW". Tony walked forward, slowly, purposefully, trying to assess the situation.

"I'm here…" Tony replied.


	4. Convinced

Thanks for the reviews very appreciated! LOL : Sophie xx

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Nialle staggered out of the helicopter and landed on the floor in a heap gasping loudly. She grimaced as her arm touched the floor and gingerly moved it in to her waist with her other hand. She looked up as she saw Jack moving slowly, manoeuvring his body through the wreckage.

"Cute ass, Jack." She laughed. She stopped short, wondering how she could come out with such stupid things, when they'd almost died. Jack almost fell out of the helicopter and joined her on the floor, taking a second to breathe.

"I like to see you've not lost your sense of humour since we last met." He commented grimly. "Can you walk properly? We need to get out of here right now. This helicopter didn't come down for the sake of it." He hoisted his body up off the floor groaning and Nialle copied. She ripped her pants with Jack's knife to make a temporary sling for them both. Jack surveyed his surroundings… He knew the place… it was where Terri and Kym had been held by Ira Gaines… he shuddered, tears welling in his eyes at the thought of his beautiful wife and daughter…

"You know where we are?" Nialle asked, looking at him.

"Yeah," Jack answered…Nialle recognized the distant look and took charge.

"We need to get to high ground, salvage whatever weaponary we can and go," she ordered moving back toward the wreck. Jack stood there.

"Jack!" she shouted.

* * *

"What do you want?" Tony asked controlling his voice. _Keep control of the situation_.

"We need access to your systems." Someone to his right demanded. Tony raised an eyebrow but remained silent. Something wasn't right. No-one – not even machete wielding maniacs - would storm a government building just to use their systems…would they?

"Your entire security team is dead, my men have taken their places, I suggest you look yourself." Another barked pointing to a computer. Tony looked down, warily.

"Chloe O'Brien," the same man shouted. Chloe's eyes were wide. He saw the look in her eyes. "Show the good man a link to your security control room." Chloe was dragged to the computer before Tony. She tapped a way, her breathing staggered. An image flickered to like. Security men lay slain on the floor, bloodied and naked, the camera panned up to the evil eyes of men, in their uniform, waving at the came. Tony closed his eyes, a reflex. Chloe whimpered. The rest of the department turned away, all scared, most holding on to each other.

"Convinced?" snapped barker. "Now let us on your systems."

* * *

"We got a chopper coming in," Nialle called back to Jack. She looked around at his silence. He was holding his arm gingerly. A deep cut ran down it and he tried to clean it up. That was the effect he was trying to create, but Nialle knew it a façade. Jack was never withdrawn when he was in trouble. She moved over to him, taking the piece of khaki pant leg from his hand and examining the wound. He breathed in quickly as she touched it.

"Watch it!" he snapped. She looked up. "Sorry…" he mumbled.

"It's ok. There's a chopper coming in, should be here in 5.," she spoke softly, as she finished attending his arm.

"Thanks Nia," Jack whispered and moved some dirt from her face. She smiled.

"Not heard that one in a long time…" she muttered, embarrassed. "There's something you need to know about me Jack." They didn't see the gunman creeping through the undergrowth. Didn't hear his boots breaking at twigs under his feet. It was only the sound of a gun being released that even alerted them to his existence…

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End file.
